Travis Grant is one of the powerhouses of stand up paddle (SUP) racing. Hailing from Australia but now calling the island of Oahu home, Travis is an avid waterman who simply loves being in the water. Get to know this champion paddler just a bit better in a great video presented by Surftech titled “Conversations With Travis Grant.”

The International Surfing Association (ISA) has confirmed today that the 2016 ISA World Stand Up Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Championships will be hosted in Fiji – the first time that an ISA event will be held in the Pacific island chain, further highlighting the global growth and expansion of SUP Surfing and Racing.

Last year we here at Supconnect had the pleasure of attending the Air France Paddle Festival and we will definitely be back again this year as it was an event that is not to be missed. In case you needed any help deciding whether or not to attend the 2016 Air France Paddle Festival, here are five reasons why you should definitely do it:

With the 20th anniversary for the Molokai 2 Oahu Paddleboard World Championships happening this year in 2016 the buzz surrounding the event has already begun. We’re still a few months out but we’re already getting psyched for the 2016 M2O and are anticipating the excitement of the action to come.

Once again, Mission Bay in San Diego hosted the 20th Annual Hanohano Huki Ocean Challenge and the event did not disappoint. With gloomy skies for the majority of the day, the attitudes and demeanors of the athletes and spectators were anything but. Every direction you looked you saw smiles and heard laughter and cheers. The Hanohano is notorious for being a classic event with nothing but fun on offer and this year it once again lived up to that reputation.

In stand up paddle racing, knowing how to do a buoy turn efficiently and correctly is a skill all SUP racers aim to accomplish. In this How To Video from SIC Maui, SIC's Global Athlete Kenny Kaneko breaks down the steps on how to do a buoy turn with precision and style. Take a look.

It was an epic close to the 2015 season at Turtle Bay, as we saw extremely competitive racing and dramatic finishes in both the long distance and sprint racing that led to the crowning of 2 new World Champions for 2015.

The first annual Pacific Paddle Games presented by Salt Life featured big waves, great weather and the world’s best paddling athletes. That combination made for a fantastically successful event. In the most important prize of the weekend, Connor Baxter and Candice Appleby captured overall titles earning them each a significant chunk of the history-making $55,000 prize purse.

The 2015 Pacific Paddle Games is happening NOW and we’ve got all the live action for you right here, via Supconnect.com. All of the world’s top stand up paddle board racers have gathered here in Dana Point, California this weekend to take a crack at the largest-ever-offered prize purse in stand up paddle boarding of a whopping $55,000 USD.

Kai Lenny and Candice Appleby take top honors at stop #2 of the 2015 Stand Up World Series at the Victoria Cup Hayama Pro. Check out the full report, photos and highlights courtesy of the Waterman League.

The 2015 Naish Columbia Gorge paddle challenge was bigger than ever this year as elite and amateur athletes alike came together to conquer the Gorge. Conditions were harsh over the weekend as the winds weren't as strong as many would have hoped and nearby fires created a lot of smoke in the air causing for a strenuous time for the athletes.

The World's best are heading to the land of the rising sun in two weeks time for the next stop on the 2015 Stand Up World Series.